Iran navy receives new cruise missiles amid growing regional tension

DUBAI: The Iranian navy has taken delivery of cruise missiles with a range of 1,000 km (621 miles) as well as reconnaissance helicopters, state media reported on Sunday, as the US accused Iran of a drone attack on a chemical tanker in the Indian ocean.

“The Talaeiyeh cruise missile has a range of over 1,000 km and is a smart missile that can change targets mid-mission,” state media cited the head of Iran’s navy, Shahram Irani, as saying.

Reconnaissance helicopters, drones and marine cruise missiles were among new weapons added to the navy’s arsenal, Irani said, adding that “all of this equipment has been designed and produced by Iran’s military industry”.

Although Western military analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its capabilities, Iranian-made missiles and drones are a key element in Tehran’s military hardware.

The US Department of Defense said on Saturday that a drone sent from Iran struck a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker in the Indian ocean, an incident highlighting rising regional tensions and a new risk to shipping lanes in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent action in Gaza.

Iran on Saturday denied US accusations that it was involved in planning attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi movement on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.